That New Zealand's strategy has failed

[JudesBiggestFan]

And they will have to start the long and painful process of learning to live with Covid? I spoke to my friend in NZ earlier and he was in shock at being back in lockdown. He said they really felt they'd defeated the virus and this has just come out of nowhere. I feel for him but an airborne virus...it can't be stopped. And the cost of trying is too high. Or do they still have a chance of beating the virus?

It is concerning that some of the posters on here from NZ are not able to neutrally access their own government decisions in the cool light of day, and instead of relentlessly defending 'their side' and pause to consider whether there is something in this, and really assess what is happening to them as did when our government made mistakes. No one fought to hide the missteps or pretend they did not exist. Most countries are very open about their problems, so they learn from them. NZ seem so desperate to prove a point that 'they were right', and everyone else is 'wrong' that they seem to be missing the much bigger picture, the most important picture.

Is zero covid even possible?

And the answer is no, so you are chasing a fairytale from the get go, that is before we have even covered the misinformation about the vaccines. Vaccines will not see you out of this mess, not in the medium term, and quite possibly never.
So what exactly are you doing pursuing a strategy that is destined to fail? It is 12 months out of date. Back last summer we all believed that all we had to do is sit tight for a few more weeks/months and the vaccines would roll out and we would all be 'spared'.....fast forward a year....various new variants and a vaccine that only minimises the symptoms but does not stop the spread in any variation and you get to the truth, and most people are getting their heads around learning to live with the virus, and feeling okay about it too.

The painful hard truth is that covid is going to be a battle that will last for years and years, and has no end date. You are signed up to the worst possible future with a 'zero covid' strategy. A boom and bust lockdown hell that will see your mental health, economies and children suffer horrendously.

Demand that these questions are answered by your scientists and health minister, speak to your gov representatives and get some answers. How is their policy ever going to actually work in the long term?

Complacency is a killer....

The point about a tiny population is very valid and cannot be overlooked. 4 million people would maybe get the equivalent of a mayor or a local councillor in a populous country which is connected to the world. While NZ has a huge govt machine to manage a minuscule country in terms population. Sorry but NZ just does not compare.

@stepupandbecounted

It is concerning that some of the posters on here from NZ are not able to neutrally access their own government decisions in the cool light of day, and instead of relentlessly defending 'their side' and pause to consider whether there is something in this, and really assess what is happening to them as did when our government made mistakes. No one fought to hide the missteps or pretend they did not exist. Most countries are very open about their problems, so they learn from them. NZ seem so desperate to prove a point that 'they were right', and everyone else is 'wrong' that they seem to be missing the much bigger picture, the most important picture.

Is zero covid even possible?

And the answer is no, so you are chasing a fairytale from the get go, that is before we have even covered the misinformation about the vaccines. Vaccines will not see you out of this mess, not in the medium term, and quite possibly never.
So what exactly are you doing pursuing a strategy that is destined to fail? It is 12 months out of date. Back last summer we all believed that all we had to do is sit tight for a few more weeks/months and the vaccines would roll out and we would all be 'spared'.....fast forward a year....various new variants and a vaccine that only minimises the symptoms but does not stop the spread in any variation and you get to the truth, and most people are getting their heads around learning to live with the virus, and feeling okay about it too.

The painful hard truth is that covid is going to be a battle that will last for years and years, and has no end date. You are signed up to the worst possible future with a 'zero covid' strategy. A boom and bust lockdown hell that will see your mental health, economies and children suffer horrendously.

Demand that these questions are answered by your scientists and health minister, speak to your gov representatives and get some answers. How is their policy ever going to actually work in the long term?

Complacency is a killer....

If it's a fairytale, it's been a pretty good one over this past year!

Well it's been a fairytale because you haven't actually had Covid in NZ. Now you do, so things will need to change

The painful hard truth is that covid is going to be a battle that will last for years and years, and has no end date. You are signed up to the worst possible future with a 'zero covid' strategy. A boom and bust lockdown hell that will see your mental health, economies and children suffer horrendously.

I see the ‘panic’ and ‘catastrophise’ option is just too tempting!

You seem awfully het up for something that doesn’t affect you in the slightest. Almost desperate to rile us up, and annoyed that your increasingly panicked posts aren’t having the desire effect.

@50ShadesOfCatholic

OP your friend sounds a bit uninformed.

NZ did achieve elimination with the first round, now it is dealing with the Delay variant.

It was absolutely expected. Of course it is going to slip through the border, there will always be a margin of error when humans are involved.

I live in NZ and no-one I know is at all surprised to be going through this. Shocked, yes, because we herd about the first case at 1pm and the lockdown was announced at 6pm. So it took a little adjusting. But surprised? No.

It seems to me there is a huge hunger in here is. Mumsnet and (right wing) places like the Daily Mail to declare NZs strategy a failure and take enormous glee in every difficulty it faces. It's sad that some people feel the need to be so nasty, it says a lot about them.

But it has nothing to do with the reality of life here.

I actively campaigned for Labour in the election that propelled JA to PM and she has more than delivered. They have more than delivered. She's a fantastic leader, she is tough as nails, extremely intelligent and always respectful and compassionate.

I have been so grateful to be in NZ for the pandemic, we have enjoyed normal life for most of the past 18 months and our lockdowns have been short and effective. I feel looked after.

I don't think people realise how adored JA is. Children call her Jacinda and trust her to look after them. She promised goodness and kindness. I have lived in multiple countries under multiple leaders and I have never experienced this, actual trust in the leadership.

No-one is pretending life here is perfect. For some of us, and I acknowledge my immense privilege in living in a big house in a beautiful location with fast Wi-Fi! lockdown is almost like a retreat, a health spa. I acknowledge that for many it is challenging whether physically or mentally. But there is a spirit of goodwill, of looking out for each other and of trying to do the right thing.

To come on here and observe the derison levelled at us by people who live on the other side of the world is bewildering. What is it people get out of being so vile?

None of us knows how long this pandemic will run or what is around the corner. But NZs track record is fantastic and I feel incredibly grateful to be here. It is terrible to see the chaos and pain caused by such terrible management in so many other countries.

Wrt vaccines. One million are now fully vaccinated. I can't remember offhand the stats on partial vaccination suffice to say the roll-out has ramped up during the past week.

How we compare globally? I'll attach some stats. In the meantime, let's try to be civil.

This is why I love New Zealand.

Fair play to you all - much love and respect.

NZ has done what it deems best, in light of its resources, priorities, and governance.

Everywhere else has done the same thing - with particular reference to priorities and governance.

Personally, I'm glad my whanau are in a place where the 'glorious leader' never said they were prepared to let the bodies pile high.

NZ has an extremely effective track and trace system, that means that positive cases and contacts are identified quickly.

Delta is a gamechanger, and policy will almost certainly have to alter to reflect that. In the meantime, vaccination rates are steadily going up, as are cases, while at this point, there are no deaths, and no-one as yet has needed intensive care, so the health system is more than able to cope.

In the respite between this and the outbreak, the economy has been able to function well, and recover, as has society, mentally, emotionally and physically, meaning that the nation isn't worn down and cynical.

@stepupandbecounted

It is concerning that some of the posters on here from NZ are not able to neutrally access their own government decisions in the cool light of day, and instead of relentlessly defending 'their side' and pause to consider whether there is something in this, and really assess what is happening to them as did when our government made mistakes. No one fought to hide the missteps or pretend they did not exist. Most countries are very open about their problems, so they learn from them. NZ seem so desperate to prove a point that 'they were right', and everyone else is 'wrong' that they seem to be missing the much bigger picture, the most important picture.

Is zero covid even possible?

And the answer is no, so you are chasing a fairytale from the get go, that is before we have even covered the misinformation about the vaccines. Vaccines will not see you out of this mess, not in the medium term, and quite possibly never.
So what exactly are you doing pursuing a strategy that is destined to fail? It is 12 months out of date. Back last summer we all believed that all we had to do is sit tight for a few more weeks/months and the vaccines would roll out and we would all be 'spared'.....fast forward a year....various new variants and a vaccine that only minimises the symptoms but does not stop the spread in any variation and you get to the truth, and most people are getting their heads around learning to live with the virus, and feeling okay about it too.

The painful hard truth is that covid is going to be a battle that will last for years and years, and has no end date. You are signed up to the worst possible future with a 'zero covid' strategy. A boom and bust lockdown hell that will see your mental health, economies and children suffer horrendously.

Demand that these questions are answered by your scientists and health minister, speak to your gov representatives and get some answers. How is their policy ever going to actually work in the long term?

Complacency is a killer....

Condescension, however, is a fate worse than death.

Basically, we're a pimple on the arse-end of the world, I really don't get why the likes of UK and US are so bloody obsessed with us. . .

@mbosnz

Basically, we're a pimple on the arse-end of the world, I really don't get why the likes of UK and US are so bloody obsessed with us. . .

I'm not obsessed with NZ. I did find some of the gloating at new year on mn very inappropriate though.

As you say every country has had its own very unique situation to take into account.

Having spoken recently to a family member in NZ I think that it’s difficult to imagine how the pandemic has impacted the UK. I live in a rural county where infection rates have been very low. The Delta variant has changed this and we have seen infection rates increase. Fortunately with a high vaccine uptake this has not impacted on NHS and deaths since Easter are in single figures.
Hopefully, if NZ have followed our vaccine programme, they will not see the devastating mortality rates now that Delta has hit their communities.
What is evident is that no lockdown, hard or otherwise, will contain the Delta variant, this can be seen world wide. Complete hard lockdown is just not possible so there will always be opportunities for the virus to spread.
I hope Jakinda is prepared for the backlash.

Gloating, or celebrating? (Perhaps with inadequate forelock tugging at The Mother Country, assuring her and her inhabitants that the colonial oiks know their place, true. . .)

I have some friends that live in NZ that I met when I was living in Australia they seem quite happy about the lockdown and the low number of cases. There does seem to be a more we are all in this together and things have been far more normal over there than they have been here.

Their problem is reopening the borders and restarting the tourism industry. No one is going to want to go on holiday anywhere that makes you quarantine for 14 days first. Australia was doing really well then delta got in I don't think any country can keep it at bay for ever.

Given NZ has had what,

I stopped respecting NZ and Jacinda A. when they sent a male bodied person to participate in womens wrestling in the Olympics

Oh no, I'm sure we are devastated. Get over yourself, no-one cares whether you respect NZ or not.

MN of late would delete a post that said the sky is blue if someone moaned about it.

That is so true. It's pathetic that people can get a a post removed simply because they don't like someone criticising them. There seem to be a lot of insecure people on MN.

@mbosnz

Gloating, or celebrating? (Perhaps with inadequate forelock tugging at The Mother Country, assuring her and her inhabitants that the colonial oiks know their place, true. . .)

Gloating. It was very unpleasant.

'Forelock tugging', 'mother country' plus 'colonial oiks'. Hmm you've quite a large chip on your shoulder haven't you. Why's that, or are you just generally xenophobic?

@Bryonyshcmyony

Well it's been a fairytale because you haven't actually had Covid in NZ. Now you do, so things will need to change

Yes we have had C @OVID in NZ. First cases identified early 2020. Let me attach those stats again

LOL, I have no more nor less of a chip on my shoulder than many of those from the remnants of the empire. On that side of the remnant of the empire. The chips on the other side of the empire, however. . .

If those on that side of the world are happy, on the whole, with how things have been managed thus far, surely, all to the good.

If those on this side of the world, are happy, on the whole, with how things have been managed, thus far, surely, all to the good.

Lot less dead on thatta side of the world though.

'LOL, I have no more nor less of a chip on my shoulder than many of those from the remnants of the empire. On that side of the remnant of the empire. The chips on the other side of the empire, however. . .'

🥱

Yeah right course you don't.

As I said the gloating in Jan was disgusting. It's a pandemic not a competition.

The posting in here is very odd. The people who live in NZ and therefore know what it's like are being shouted down by a few who live very far away who insist they know better regarding the reality of life here.

It's a theme repeated in many discussions particularly when the subject is of smaller populace or quieter voice. We see it here (in NZ) in racism, the loudest whitest voices bleating at the most marginalised communities. I see it in MN when people on good incomes tell low earners how to budget, or parents of toddlers weighing in on threads about parenting teens.

As a general rule of thumb I think it's wise to ask someone how it is for them rather than tell them. Then listen when they tell you. That way we can learn from each other and become a lot more knowledgeable.

As I said the gloating in Jan was disgusting. It's a pandemic not a competition.

By George, I think she's got it!

I'm still waiting to actually see any threads where NZ was "gloating/laughing/crowing." Is it possible that you are misremembering?

I’m still hopeful for New Zealand that they went early enough with this lockdown that they’ll get on top of it. NSW wasn’t as swift in its response to a community case.

'Lot less dead on thatta side of the world though'

Also, what a glib way to talk about those that have tragically died. Show some sensitivity fgs. There's a lot less 'on thatta side of the world' population size too. You need to look at this It may help you with context, deaths per million etc. Google population density too, educate yourself! go on I dare ya. You must try to let your issues with the empire and colonialism go..

@Dontevenstart. thank you 💕